How to Watch Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors - NBA on NBC Tipoff 2025
The NBA returns to NBC October 21 with a double header that includes a clash of West Coast icons.
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After months of hype, the NBA on NBC finally returns this month, and on the first night you'll get not one but two games to kick off the entire 2025/26 NBA season.
The first game of NBC and Peacock's Tipoff Doubleheader, at 7:30 p.m. ET, features the Houston Rockets taking on the defending NBA champs, the Oklahoma City Thunder. That's a must-watch, but it's not the only game in town. If you're willing to stay up a little later, you'll also get West Coast NBA action featuring two of the biggest stars in the league right now, when the Los Angeles Lakers face the Golden State Warriors.
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So, with the tipoff fast approaching, let's take a look at the late matchup in our double header.
How can you watch the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors NBA Tipoff game?
The good news is that if you're already watching the Houston vs. Oklahoma City game on NBC and Peacock earlier in the night, you don't have to change the channel. But if you're tuning in late, or you're just catching the second game, all you have to do is turn on NBC at 9:30 p.m. ET on October 21, and you'll get all the Lakers vs. Warriors action. The game will also simultaneously stream on Peacock.
What to watch for in the Lakers vs. Warriors NBA Tipoff game
The Lakers and the Warriors are both star-packed teams hoping to settle some unfinished business in the Western Conference after last year's playoffs. Both teams were eliminated in the postseason by the Minnesota Timberwolves (the Lakers went down first, and then the Warriors) in dominant fashion, and both teams feature aging stars still trying to prove they've got one more championship run left in them.
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On the Warriors side, that means Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green; while the Lakers have LeBron James, who's still showing us incredible stuff after more than two decades in the league (though he won't be playing in this game, as he's out for the first month or so of the season with an injury). But there's young talent on these rosters as well, especially Luka Dončić for the Lakers, who joined the team thanks to a big trade last season. Bottom line: These teams are packed with talent, and though the Lakers will have home court advantage, they seem more or less evenly matched here at the very start of the season.
That's good news for basketball fans, because it means both teams will come out swinging, ready to show the entire NBA something on opening night. If everyone's in the right headspace, we could be in for a new NBA on NBC classic.
The NBA on NBC returns October 21 and continues Monday and Tuesdays all season long on NBC and Peacock.
